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'Sunday 6th March 2016' *Brent Reservoir: Jack Snipe still from Heron Hide, 19 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler & 2 Lesser Redpoll (Andrew Self, Roy Beddard) *Crossness:8:00-11:00 Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 2 Oystercatcher, 20 Lapwing, 200 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Curlew, 30 Redshank, 10 Shelduck, 40 Wigeon, 30 Gadwall, 45 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Cetti's Warbler (George Kalli) *Finsbury Park: 3 Red Crested Pochard (James Palmer) *Foots Cray: Little Egret on flooded field by Edgington Way - this looks a pretty good area for waders now and in the next couple of months (Ian Stewart) *Footscray Meadows: Pair Mute Swan , Mallard, 10 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, c 50 Black - headed Gull, Herring Gull over , 2 Stock Dove , Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), Green Woodpecker (heard only) , Kingfisher (perched) ,Grey Wagtail , Nuthatch , Jay , c30 Jackdaw ( conservative estimate) ,Chaffinch, flock of Goldfinch, Greenfinch (h) . ( Mike Amos) *KGV Reservoir: Slavonian Grebe South basin N/W corner (Neville Smith). Also redhead Smew SE corner of south basin, 10 Goosanders, 23 Goldeneye (Sean Huggins) *Lamorbey Park: Pair Mute Swan, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, Green Woodpecker, 2+ Goldcrest, 3+ Coal Tit, Siskin (Ian Stewart) *Muswell Hill N10, Queen's Wood: 10:00 Common Redpoll (pair), 3 Stock Dove (Tony Jakeman) *Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over west at 14:15, 36 Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit, 2 Long-tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Jackdaw & 6 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge). *Rainham Marshes: Merlin Wennington Marshes mid-pm, 2 Short-eared Owls (Sean Huggins) *Rotherhithe: Firecrest in Russia Dock Woodland by footpath between Globe Pond and Downton Pond; also Kingfisher and Song Thrush (Richard Bonser, Richard Page-Jones). *Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Female Blackcap in garden, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit (Ian Stewart) *Stoke Newington Reservoirs: Mediterranean Gull (James Palmer) *Ten Acre Wood area: Pheasant calling, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 7/8 Lapwing (some displaying), Snipe, Kingfisher, 13+ Skylark (2 singing), singing Treecreeper, 3 Goldcrest, c80 Redwing (feeding in paddock beside wood), 7 Fieldfare, 7 Reed Bunting (2 singing), 25+ Linnet (1 singing in hedge) (Neil Anderson) *Walthamstow Marshes: Stonechat, 2 Egyptian Goose (Jon Agar) *Wanstead Park : 1Water Rail ,1Siskin,1Song Thrush, 2 Grt Spotted Woodpecker,4 Egyptian Geese. (G.Gram). *West Putney: Snow Bunting flew N calling 08.30 (R.Kaye) 'Saturday 5th March 2016' *Amwell NR: ad Kittiwake 09.05-09.10, also 2 1st-W Caspian Gull, Smew '''still (Twitter) *Barnes Common: Firecrest, SW corner near ponds; also 6 Redwing (Rich Petley) *Brent Reservoir: Jack Snipe from Heron Hide, 12 Common Snipe, Little Egret, 3 Water Rail, 5 drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker & 1 Fieldfare (Andrew Self) *Ealing (W13): Male (un-ringed) Blackcap still in garden this morning and singing (Bill Haines). *Greenwich Ecology Park: Little Grebe, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll (John Buhell per Conrad Ellam) *Hampstead Heath: 2 Gadwall (1st Pond), 10 Redwing (Parl Hill), nearby front garden, female Blackcap on Magnolia Blossom. Aw! (Greengrandad) *Little Britain Cowley/ Iver: Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtails (Sue Giddens) *London Wetland Centre: 1 Redshank, 1 Shelduck, 1 Buzzard high over main lake heading SE, c.160 Cormorant, several Pied Wagtail, Stonechat, 1 drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Cetti's warbler singing (Martin Honey & B. Page) 2 Pintail, 2 Sparrowhawk (displaying), 2 Stonechat, 1 Common Snipe, 4 Siskin, 2 Redshank, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 34 Shoveler (Thomas Gibson) *Middlesex Filter Beds: ~11:30: Reed Bunting calling in the bed nearest the Hackney Marshes gate, Little Egret perched in the bushes on the bank of the Old River Lea (Alastair Dent); 3.30 Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail (Neil Verlander) *Oxford Street: Great Tit calling outside Selfridges (Nathalie Mahieu). *Pinner (HA5): 42 Redwing, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Long-tailed Tit, singing Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker, Jackdaw over south & 6 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge). *Rainham Marshes: '''Caspian Gull (BirdGuides) *Staines reservoirs: Shoveler, Goldeneye, 7 Black-necked Grebe, Buzzard, Pochard, Wigeon, 6 Meadow Pipit (Eugene Dillon-Hooper) *Stoke Newington Reservoirs: Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, Reed Bunting, 65 Common Gull (Chris Farthing) *Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: Little Egret, c30 Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 4 Bullfinch, male Kestrel, 9 Teal (John Colmans) *Victoria Park (dawn chorus bird walk): 3 Sparrowhawk, Firecrest, 2 Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 9 Red-crested Pochard, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush (Chris Farthing) *Wallington (TQ290631): Ad Male Blackcap in garden, also 2 Goldcrest (Arjun Dutta) *Wanstead Flats: Chiffchaff, 3 singing Skylark (Tony Brown); 8 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 16 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Linnet, 2 Grey Wagtail (Bob Vaughan) *Wanstead Park: 18 Teal (Heronry), Tufted Duck (Bob Vaughan) *Yeading (Glencoe Rd): 3 Fieldfare seen in bush from bus (Neil Anderson) 'Friday 4th March 2016' *Blackwall Beach: late aft 1 2w/3cy Caspian Gull, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Grey Wagtails (N Senior) * Broadwater Lake, Harefield: 21 Chiffchaff along the R. Colne incl. one probable abietinus bird, 7 singing Cetti's Warbler between the yacht club and the causeway, 3 Goosander on the river also plus 9 Reed Bunting in the Dogwood and Willows which are the first of the March passage birds through the Colne Valley, 16 Wigeon on the lake but wildfowl numbers now reducing weekly ( John Edwards). * Forty Hall/Turkey Brook: Kingfisher, 2 Siskin (James Palmer) * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park: Peregrine Falcon (adult female), Siskin (1 male/3 female), Tufted Duck (pair), Little Grebe, Goldcrest (John Bushell) * Hackney Downs: 15:30 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 being mobbed by Magpies (S. Barry) * Harrow Lodge Park, RM12: Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, pair of Great Crested Grebe (K Midgley) * Horton Country Park; 1 Firecrest in pond woods, also Little Owl (John Gordon) * Kensal Green Cemetery and St Mary’s Cemetery: 4 Stock Dove, 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Redwing, Chaffinch (singing) (Charlie Farrell) *Leyton: 5 Siskin over ASDA car park (JW Davies) *Margravine Cemetery: 2 Peregrine Falcon, c4 Goldcrest, c14 Redwing (Charlie Farrell) *Millwall Outer Dock: 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 male Peregrine, 1 1w/2cy Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Siskins (N Senior) *Hampstead Heath: Water Rail showing well on small pools by feeders Bird Pond also pair of Kingfishers (Allan Stewart) *London Wetland Centre: at least 3 Stonechat (1m 2f), 2 Common Snipe wader scrape, 1 Redshank and 2 Pied Wagtail grazing marsh, 2m 1f Pintail, 1 Pheasant (probable juv male), drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, displaying Lapwing and Black-headed Gulls, 2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls (Martin Honey) *Orpington: Cray River. Little Egret behind the bread factory,stirring up the silt by paddling. Grey wagtail further along back of Nugent. Very plump female blackcap by Halfords. 12:00 Jo East *Oxleas Wood: 2 Firecrest, 30+ Goldcrest, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Jackdaw, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Songthrush (R.Turner). *Petts Wood: 1+ Firecrest in usual area near the compost mound, more vocal than previous visits and often singing, 4 Canada Geese, Common Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 15+ Common Gull, 4+ Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 10+ Goldcrest, 2+ Nuthatch, 3+ Treecreeper, 50+ Jackdaw, Siskin (Ian Stewart) (Hi Ian Where is the compost mound please? I'd like to have a look for these Jo East) The mound is along the bridle path off the A208 and parallel to Manor Park. Good way in is the path from Riverwood Lane, carry on to the bridle path and turn right, the grass mound is approx 50M along and the birds are usually in hollies (IS) Thanks - Will try & get along this week JE *Pinner (HA5): 53 Redwing (Jon Ridge). *Pinner (Marsh Road): Red Kite over the railway bridge at 12:49 (Jon Ridge). *Pinner Park Farm: Peregrine Falcon, male Kestrel, 2 Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, 2 Little Egret, pair of Teal, 133 Redwing, 18 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, 11 Stock Dove, 35 Jackdaw, 3 Jay, 11 Goldfinch, 2 Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker & 2 Nuthatch (Jon Ridge). *Rammey Marsh: 3 Goosander (2 male and 1 female) (James Palmer) *Rayners Lane: Chiffchaff in garden (Tim Rymer) *Rotherhithe - Stave Hill Ecological Park: Firecrest (showing well in bushes opposite Downtown Pond), 4 Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 4 Siskin, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush (Richard Page-Jones) *Stockley Park, West Drayton: 2 Egyptian Goose, 1 Kestrel. (Roger Dewey) *Stoneleigh KT17: 10 Siskin again present in The Glade am, also 1 Grey Wagtail over and 3 Stock Dove (Neil Batten) *Tooting Bec Common: Firecrest in Bedford Woods about 3pm, location as yesterday (Steve Woolfenden & Alan Wilkinson) *Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: Male Firecrest '''still in Holly Ash Wood 1225 at least singly continuously, Chiffchaff Scrapyard Meadow, 2 Goldcrest (Bob Watts) *Trent CP: Male '''Firecrest still (much more showy today, hints of song too), 2 Red-legged Partridge on nearby farmland just east of London Loop entrance to park, 6 Siskin, Mandarin on lower lake, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Common Buzzard (M Kirkland) *Walthamstow Marshes: 08:30 - 09:30: 10 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush (front paddocks), 2 Egyptian Geese (rear paddocks), 3 Stonechat, 3 Meadow Pipit (Bomb Crater Field), 2 Jackdaw flying south down the flood relief channel (Alastair Dent) *Wanstead Flats: Stonechat still Cat & Dog (JH), 4-5 Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 2 Redwing, 9 Shoveler, 8 Egyptian Goose, 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 2 Little Grebe (Nick Croft/James Heal) *Wanstead Park: Water Rail, 14 Teal, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, Gadwall, 10+ Redwing, 2 Chiffchaff, singing Goldcrest, 14+ Siskin, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel (Nick Croft/James Heal) 'Thursday 3rd March 2016' *Bexley DA5 (Coldblow field): mixed flock of 300+ Woodpigeon and Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker, 1+ Rook, 50+ Jackdaw, 20+ Linnet (Ian Stewart) *Brookmill Park: Kingfisher (Conrad Ellam). *Cornmill Meadows: 4 Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Kingfisher, Common Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, singing Reed Bunting, 40+ Siskin, possible Mealy Redpoll (just N of hide - quite pale/grey and lacking buff tones, but could just be bleached Lesser Redpoll?) (Simon Papps) *Foots Cray: Little Egret in flooded field by Edgington Way (Ian Stewart) *Foots Cray Meadows: Pair Mute Swan, 4 Canada Geese over, pair Egyptian Geese, 15 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Redwing, Chiffchaff, 6+ Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, 3+ Jay, pair Bullfinch (Ian Stewart) *Gallions Reach: 2 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 20+ Redshank (KJMcmanus) *Hackney Marshes: Wick Wood - 10+ Siskin in alder trees next to canal (JW Davies) *Hogsmill SF: Common Buzzard SW at 10:25 (Nick Tanner). *London Wetland Centre: 1m Pintail, 3 Common Snipe, 28 Wigeon, 1 Water Rail, 1 Redshank, 7 singing/calling Cetti's Warbler, 4 Stock Dove, 4 Fieldfare, 1m 1f Stonechat (Martin Honey); Pintail, Wigeon, Pochard, Teal, Redshank, Cetti's Warbler (heard), 4-5 Stonechat, Siskin, 2 Reed Bunting, Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 3 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing (Eugene Dillon-Hooper). pr Ring-necked Parakeet copulating, Cetti's Warbler (good views), Goldcrest, c40 Redwing (near entrance) (Charlie Farrell) *Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: singing Nuthatch in court grounds, Coal Tit, 2 Siskin, singing Grey Wagtail (Stuart Fisher) *Leyton Tip Area: Adult Yellow-legged Gull, 5 Siskin over, Common Buzzard over S, 7 Meadow Pipit, 5 Jackdaw (Jamie Partridge) *Maple Lodge NR, Maple Cross: 1 pr Great Crested Grebe at nest (Roger Dewey) *Oxleas Wood: 4 Siskin, 12+ Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Tawny Owl (calling), Nuthatch (R.Turner]?'') *Pinner (HA5): 82 Redwing, Fieldfare, Coal Tit & Goldcrest (Jon Ridge). *Rainham Marshes: Short-eared Owl at Serin Mound (Fraser Simpson) *Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, 3 Stock Dove E, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Jackdaw E (Ian Stewart) *Staines Reservoir: 6 Black-necked Grebe, 30+ Goldeneye, Pintail ( Jim Sweetland); '''Ferruginous Duck', among Pochard on west bank of North Basin (M. Kirkland). *Southwark Park: pair Egyptian Goose with 5 young, 1 Little Grebe, 8 Shoveler, 34 Tufted Duck (John Cadera) *Stockers Lake: Mealy Redpoll, 'pr. Siskin, probable Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (only heard drumming, c. 1.5 second bursts), 1m Red-Crested Pochard (3m, 1f reported by others), Oystercatcher, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove. 63 Wigeon on flooded field at Stockers Farm, Little Owl reported there too (M. Kirkland). *Stoke Newington Reservoirs: pr Teal, 3 Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk, Cetti's Warbler, Redwing, pr Great Spotted Woodpecker, pr Great Crested Grebe (Chris Farthing) *Stoneleigh KT17: Small flock of 10 Siskin again present in The Glade am (Neil Batten) *Tooting Bec Common: Firecrest still present in Bedford woods 8.20am . Try 3rd path in from bridge in tall trees covered by ivy near newly cleared area. (Will Rose) *Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: Coal Tit vocal Ash Wood, Chiffchaff singing softly Scrapyard Meadow, 2 Goldcrest (Bob Watts) *Uxbridge: 1 Little Egret by R Frays, Cowley Road. (Roger Dewey) *Walthamstow Reservoirs: Goldeneye (3m, including 2 displaying, 4f), Sparrowhawk f, Kingfisher, 3 Cettis warbler. (Matt Cunningham) *Wanstead Flats: 19 Shoveler, 8 Egyptian Goose, 17 Shoveler, 6 Pochard, 3 Little Grebe, 5 Redwing, singing Blackbird, 4-5 Skylark (3 singing), Meadow Pipit, Redpoll, 15 + Greenfinch, Kestrel (Nick Croft) 'Wednesday 2nd March 2016 *Alexandra Park: Siskin heard 0648 nursery (Bob Watts) Kingfisher (Dominic Mitchell per Bob Watts) *Barking Bay: 46 Shelduck, c.170 Golden Plover over and settled on south shore mudflats, 4 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, 1 1w/2cy Kittiwake flew downstream, 1 m Stonechat (N Senior) *Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens: 1 Tawny Owl (near old nest site before flying to the Leafyard) (Charlie Farrell) *Lamorbey Park: Mute Swan lower lake (probably 2), 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, Kingfisher with small fish prey, Pied Wagtail, 2 Mistle Thrush, 5+ Goldcrest, Coal Tit, singing Chaffinch (Ian Stewart) *Leyton Tip: Adult and 1st winter Yellow-legged Gulls. (Jamie Partridge) *Pinner (HA5): 41 Redwing, 2 Long-tailed Tit & 2 Coal Tit (Jon Ridge). *Purfleet: 2 Oystercatcher (Fraser Simpson) *Queens Park NW2: c40 Redwing (Charlie Farrell) *Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Grey Heron S chased by Herring Gull, m Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Jackdaw over (Ian Stewart) *Stoke Newington Reservoirs: Peregine, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Reed Bunting, courting pr Great Crested Grebe, Goldcrest (Chris Farthing) *Wanstead Flats: 2 singing Skylark, 13 Shoveler, 4 Pochard, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Little Grebe, 100+ frogs in Angel pond (Nick Croft) *Wanstead Park: 24 Teal, 30 Shoveler, 15 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 3 Little Grebe, 10+ Siskin, 20+ Goldfinch, 20+ Redwing, 2 Goldcrest (Nick Croft) *Boston Manor Park: 5-6 Reed Bunting, 3 Mandarin, 4 Shoveler, 15 Tufted duck, lots of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Parakeets, Blackbirds, Robins, Black-headed Gulls, a few Coot, Moorhen and Canada Geese. (Eugene Dillon-Hooper) 'Tuesday 1st March 2016' *Acton Cemetery: Kestrel, c25 Redwing, Mistle Thrush (Charlie Farrell) *Brent Reservoir: Little Egret behind dam (Andrew Self) *Brookmill Park: Mandarin, 2 Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam) *Camley Street Park: 2 Lesser Redpoll briefly at 12.45 (Colin Brooks) *Erith: Thames Path from Corinthian Manorway to Crabtree Manorway: 2 Rock Pipit, 70 Redshank, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 4 Shelduck, 3 Oystercatcher, 7 Ringed Plover (Nick S) *Grovelands Park: 22 Shoveler 13m 9f, Firecrest in holly near Seaforth Grdns side entrance (Robert Callf) *Hampstead: Garden - Long-tailed Tit and male Blackcap dangling on my fat balls. Don't see that every day! (Greengrandad) Thankfully, sounds painful ;) *Hendon - Peel Centre: Peregrine Falcon on (soon to be demolished?) tower block overlooking tube line (K Watts) *Lamorbey Park: Great Crested Grebe (my first here this year after missing Mike's bird the other day, presumably a restless male from Danson), 2 Egyptian Geese (seems that the bird the other day was playing dead- part of a courtship ritual?), 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Peregrines, Kingfisher, Goldcrest, 4+ Siskin (Ian Stewart) *London Wetland Centre: Yellow-legged Gull, Bittern (Main Lake), 4 Pintail, Little Egret (Grazing Marsh) (S.Barry) *Northolt & Greenford CP ( Smith's farm scrape): PM 15 Snipe, 2 Male 1 Female Shoveler (Martin Smith) *Pinner (HA5): female Blackcap, Coal Tit & Goldfinch on feeding apparatus, Goldcrest, female Sparrowhawk & 2 Jackdaw (Jon Ridge); later, Long-tailed Tit & 31 Redwing (JR). *Purfleet: 1st-w Iceland Gull '''on opposite side of river at Darent creek mouth (Fraser Simpson) *Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Great Spotted Woodpecker, singing Goldcrest, 3 Siskin in garden briefly (Ian Stewart) *Sutcliffe Park: Drake Teal, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe (Conrad Ellam) *Trellick Tower: Peregrine (F.O'Sullivan) '''Archived News LONDON BIRDING NEWS FROM ALMOST EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH SINCE JULY 2002 {C}